TL;DR

A reliable yardstick by which to measure Melbourne's coffee scene

The vibe

The crowd

The coffee

The food

Our Review

Start us off with an overview.ST ALi helped popularize locally roasted beans in Melbourne, and today it remains one of the city's best-known caffeine purveyors (there's even licensed merch). For coffee fiends, a visit to this mothership in South Melbourne is mandatory.

So, it's an OG. Who else are we likely to see here?The front section of this bare-bones warehouse space holds a mix of private and communal tables, which are full from dawn 'til dusk. Local residents come for breakfast, workers drop in for flat whites during business hours, and parents bring their kids after school.

Now, onto the raison d’être: the coffee. Care to give us the low-down?ST ALi uses Orthodox, a proprietary blend, for its milk-based coffees, as well as its own organic blend for espresso-based black coffee. There's also hot and cold filter. For an extended experience, the so-called "Coffee Adventure" serves six different coffees.

And what about food?The food is almost as acclaimed as the coffee. The popular apple porridge, which comes with baked custard and oat crumble, blurs the line between breakfast and dessert. The entire menu is served all day—just in case you feel like swordfish with potato salad and pickled onions at 7 a.m.

Ultimately, why are we coming here?ST ALi set the standard for locally roasted coffee in Melbourne, and today it remains a reliable yardstick by which to measure the competition.